Today......he would be 62

Today, February 22, 2011, he would be 62.

Enjoying a hug from Dad.



I joined the family.



Yes, he had polio and he loved to pester me even then.



Christmas was always special.



Weren't we cute!



He was a Mighty Mission Eagle.


 He survived lots of trials....a 1st grade teacher who hit his hand with a ruler, trying to force him to use his right instead of his left.  As I mentioned, he had polio back when it was sweeping the Valley in the 1950's.  He was one of the lucky ones and only wore braces for a while.   He played football with a passion (and had his share of concussions) and loved his Mustang that he bought with his own money.
He never finished high school because of a personality clash with Mr. Groogan....

He farmed with Dad a while, worked in Houston, even drove a truck with Dad.. but finally got a job that later on.....killed him.  He drove his work truck, pulling his backhoe, for perhaps over a year, with no power steering....the pump was out and his boss wouldn't fix it.  He honked every morning at 5 a.m. to let me know he was going to work (we lived across the road from his work yard) and honked every evening as he came in.....sometimes after dark.  He did the best he could for his family and was very proud of his sons.  The last place I went with him was to Embassy Suites to look for a cousin that was playing in a softball tournament in McAllen. (he wasn't in).  Then one evening....I got the call.....from his wife.....that he was gone.  It was 3 or 4 days before we were told the truth about what happened. His boss was picking up the workers on a location in Hebronville and for some reason decided to back down the road instead of turning around.  Most of the guys were on the back of the pickup....the windows were up.....at a rough spot...he was bounced out and then...even though the guys were banging on the truck...he gunned the engine and ran over my brother.
They say he died instantly...if God is truly merciful...he did.  He was not strong when it came to pain.  It was a life lost too soon.  We were just getting close again.  He had plans to come watch Amanda play softball, and was excited that Ryan was going to college.  Today.....he would have been 62.  Al Dennis Rhyne...I miss him